Exhibits currently on display

3D sculpting challenge

Motivation

Award-winning artist Jesse Sandifer has been creating 3D digital characters for more than a decade. When Autodesk and online community CGHub challenged digital artists to create their own visions of the ultimate warrior, Sandifer saw his chance to combine his work and his passion for sculpting. After an intense battle for supremacy, Sandifer’s Turtle Warrior emerged victorious.

Starting point

Sandifer began to develop his warrior the old-fashioned way—with pencil and paper—before bringing it into 3D design software for further evolution and augmentation.

Design iterations

Intrigued by the natural armor and fearsome, spiked snout and talons of the common snapping turtle, Sandifer used Mudbox to incorporate elements into his design. Beginning with a wireframe of a muscular, masculine human figure, Sandifer went through countless iterations of his warrior.

Refinement

Once Sandifer realized the true form of his Turtle Warrior, he added photorealism to the 3D model through texture maps and precisely painted surfaces.